Southeast Europe orSoutheastern Europe is a geographicalsub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of theBalkans, as well as adjacent regions andarchipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of the region, due to political, economic, historical, cultural, and geographical considerations.
Sovereign states and territories that may be included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (alternatively placed in Central Europe), Greece (alternatively placed in the broader region of Southern Europe), Kosovo, Montenegro,North Macedonia, Romania (alternatively placed in Eastern Europe), Serbia, and theEuropean part of Turkey (alternatively placed in the broader region of Southern Europe, also inWestern Asia with the rest of the country). Sometimes, Cyprus (most often placed in West Asia), Hungary (most often placed in Central Europe), Moldova (most often placed in Eastern Europe), and Slovenia (most often placed in Central Europe) are also included due to cultural or historical factors and affiliation.
The first known use of the term "Southeast Europe" was byAustrian researcherJohann Georg von Hahn (1811–1869) as a broader term than the traditionalBalkans,[1] a concept based on the boundaries of the Balkan Peninsula. Countries described in 2004 byIstituto Geografico De Agostini as being entirely within the Balkan region, are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, andNorth Macedonia.[2]
However from the 1990s onwards, in part due to the negative historical and political connotations of the termBalkans,[3] (especially since the military conflicts of the 1990s inYugoslavia in the western half of the region) the termSoutheast Europe is becoming increasingly popular.[4][5]
The cultural borders of Europe according to the Standing Committee on Geographical Names, Germany. The map displays two different segment-bordering ways superimposed on each other.[6]
The GermanStändige Ausschuss für geographische Namen (Standing Committee on Geographical Names), which develops and recommends rules for the uniform use of geographical names, proposes two sets of boundaries. The first follows international borders of current countries. The second subdivides and includes some countries based on cultural criteria.[6] The following countries are included in their classification "Southeastern Europe":
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Greece
Montenegro
Moldova
North Macedonia
Romania
Serbia
In this classification, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia are included in Central Europe, while Turkey (East Thrace) is classified outside of main Europe.[citation needed]
Regions of Europe based onCIA World Factbook. Southeastern Europe in brown
In theCIA World Factbook, the description of each country includes information about "Location" under the heading "Geography", where the country is classified into a region. The following countries are included in their classification "Southeast Europe":[7]
In this classification, Moldova is included in Eastern Europe and Greece is included in Southern Europe.[8][9] Hungary and Slovenia are included in Central Europe.[10]
TheStability Pact for South Eastern Europe (SPSEE) included Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia as member partners.
TheSouth-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey as member partners.
TheSoutheast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey as member partners.
The Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey as member states.[11]
The EU-co-funded South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme[12] includes the whole territory of Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and parts of Italy and Ukraine as part of the "programme area".[13]
The Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE) includes Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia as member states.[14]
Studies of theWorld Bank treat Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia as the eight South Eastern European countries (SEE8).[15]
A 2006 publication of theWorld Health Organization (WHO) andCouncil of Europe Development Bank (CEB) listed Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania and Serbia and Montenegro as 'south-eastern European countries'.[16]
TheWorld Bank does not include the EU countries in its reports, and lists only Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia (SEE6).[17]
UNHCR's Regional Office in South Eastern Europe[18] currently lists Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro as part of 'South Eastern Europe'.
^abJordan, Peter (2005)."Großgliederung Europas nach kulturräumlichen Kriterien" [The large-scale division of Europe according to cultural-spatial criteria].Europa Regional.13 (4). Leipzig: Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde (IfL):162–173. Retrieved21 January 2019 – via Ständiger Ausschuss für geographische Namen (StAGN).
